Method and means for underwater constructions



March 4, 1952 c. GOODMAN METHOD AND MEANS FOR UNDERWATER CONSTRUCTIONSFiled Aug. 1, 1946 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 mm w m 4/ m f m m m M m w m m W. 4 W2 W 6 F w I 1 E r P0 m W 0 C. GOODMAN March 4, 1952 METHOD AND MEANS FORUNDERWATER CONSTRUCTIONS Filed Aug. 1, 1946 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 R mm%m 0N Rm0 w m f Wm T l A w W 9 a m H 2 March 4, 1952 c. GOODMAN 2,587,835

METHOD AND MEANS FOR UNDERWATER CONSTRUCTIONS Filed Aug. 1, 1946 6Sheets-Sheet s l 1 67am 5000mm i lNVENTOR. j, I 1 BY. W J w 1/16ATTORNEY- March 4, 1952 c, GOODMAN 2,587,835

METHOD AND MEANS FOR UNDERWATER CONSTRUCTIONS Filed Aug. 1, 1946 6Sheets-Sheet 4 \v i H L Z9 7/ 1* I m :H I L? H16 ATTORNEY.

C. GOODMAN March 4, 1952 METHOD AND MEANS FOR UNDERWATER CONSTRUCTIONS 6Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 1, 1946 MR Y Mw/m m m 6 V T fi w a w m x B h\1lsl4... .n

C. GOODMAN March 4, 1952 METHOD AND MEANS FOR UNDERWATER CONSTRUCTIONSFiled Aug. 1, 1946 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 fig" v m.- W144 Patented Mar. 4,1952 METHOD AND MEANS FOR UNDERWATER CON STR UCTIONS Charles GoodmanjNewYork, N. Y. Application August 1, 1946, Serial No. 687,7 51

This invention relates to construction and sinking of structures, likeshafts, pipes, caissons, particularly under water, and has for its mainobject to provide means and methods whereby such operations may beexecuted with more efficiency than is the case with the means andmethods now used for such purposes.

Particular objects of this invention also are: to provide means andmethods of the type characterized hereinbefore, which will accomplishthe objects in view with less complicated equipment, with less expense,in a shorter time, with less troubles and handicaps to be met, and withmore comfort to the workingman employed, than is the case with themethods and means used at present.

It is a well known fact that when driving, sinking, or excavating forthe structure, shaft, pipe, or caisson, many difliculties and greattroubles are encountered at present, particularly when boulders or rockis met by the lower edge of the device to be sunk, so that caissons, andthe like, sometimes have to be left hanging, abandoned, and sometimesthey have to be put entirely under compressed air pressure, forcontinued work, with very costly equipment, and expensive and slow,operations, it also being necessary, among others, to remove men andequipment from the caisson at certain operations, and return themthereafter, with the well known complications, costs, and delays.

My invention, designed to remedy all these difficulties, drawbacks, andhandicaps, mainly consists in providing a compressed air lock chamber,adapted to receive a desired number of workingmen with the necessaryequipments and tools, providing a downwardly open working chamberunderneath said lock chamber, then lowering this air lock and workingchamber into the shaft or caisson feeding it with compressed air,electricity, telephone, and other services from the surface, the men inthe lock chamber then being enabled to drive out the Water from theworking chamber thereunder, and transfer it into a working chamber underair pressure into which they may descend and perform any necessaryexcavating or other operations in the dry, with comfort and with allnecessary aids and tools. Even explosives may be used in an exceptionalcase, as will be explained more in detail hereinafter.

In connection with such means and methods, in addition, I employ variousnovel separate means to raise the excavated material, to reduce thehydraulic head and lower the necessary air pressure in the device, andto perform other necessary or desirable operations in connection withthe work of the type indicated.

Still further objects of my invention will be partly apparent and partlypointed out as the specification of the same proceeds.

3 Claims. (Cl. 6182) In the drawings forming a part of thisspecification, and accompanying the same:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic, partly sectional, elevational view of oneembodiment of my novel arrangement for underground shaft constructions;

Fig. 2 is a sectional View of a novel combination air lock chamber andworking chamber used in my invention, and

Fig. 2a is a sectional view of the lower part of the shaft in which saidlock and working chamber are to be used;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-4 of Fig. 2 of the lock chamberand shaft;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a decompression chamber to be used with mysaid air-lock and working chamber;

Fig. 5 indicates the detailed construction of an excavation materialbucket, which I employ in practising my invention, and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view thereof, while Fig. 7 shows one of itsdetails; Figs. 8 and 9 are sectional details showing means to form theworking chamber of my invention into a compressed air chamber at theplace of its use;

Fig. 10 indicates a detail of the novel casters to be used for movingthe head frame construction of my invention;

Figs. 10, 11 and 12 show how my invention may be employed to mark thecenter of the working area at the bottom of a cylinder, shaft, caisson,or like structure.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail, by characters ofreference, and particularly to the general view or diagram of Fig. 1,the numeral 20 indicates the underground shaft which is being prepared,and in this modification, it is indicated that the method applied isthat of using comparatively long cylinders 2|, and driving them insuccession one over the other into the ground.

As will be understood by those versed in this art, a head frame andtower structure, generally indicated by the numeral 22, is built,preferably movable on casters 23, and preferably having a threedrum'hoist 24 and a pile driver mechanism 25.

In the embodiment shown, the shaft 20, to be sunk, is at one side of thehead frame 22, so that new cylinder sections 2| may be easier placedover the ones sunk, and that the right hand side of the structure, ingeneral, should be left entirely free. The above ground decompressiondevice, indicated at 26 and to be described presently, will then bewithin the head frame structure and at a place where it will notobstruct the operations on the shaft 20.

If any complications arise, or large hydraulic heads are to be met, suchoperations at present can be conducted only if the whole shaft is putunder compressed air pressure, and workingmen are lowered into it todig, blast, or in other manner excavate and clear the ground underneaththe lower edge of the shaft to be sunk. This present method, obviously,entails a very large expense complicated equipment, slow work, caused bythe necessary slow descent and raising of the workingmen, and the longtime needed for them to be adjusted, either, to the high air pressurewhen going down, or to the usual atmospheric pressure when coming out ofthe job.

In my invention, 1 use a conicinationalr lock. chamber and workingchamber, which may be easily lowered into the shaft and wherein theworkingmen can operate almost entirely. similarly as working aboveground, with all the pneumatic, electrical, and other, tools available,and wherein their descent into, and removing from, the shaft and theexchange of shifts can be made with a very slight delay in time, therebygreatly speeding up the finishing of the job at hand.

I In Fig. 1 at 21, I indicate, generally, in diagrammatic manner, mycombination air lock and working chamber, and the same is shown, on alarger scale in a more detailed manner, whilestillsemi-diagrammatically, in Fig. 2.

In said figure the numeral 28 indicates the air lock chamber of mydevice, in general, and 29 is the working chamber attached to the bottomthereof. Both chambers are indicated as circular in cross section, butof course, in case of need, any other form may be used. The air lockchamber 28 is built of heavy steel plate, and will have a similar heavy,air pressure resisting, bottom 30, and top 30a. A compressed air pipeline 3| rises from thelock chamber 28 to the surface, and provides thelow compressed air for said lock, having a discharge head 3la in thechamber through which the occupants may control the air pressure in saidchamber, which, of course, may also be controlled from the surface. 7

A telephone communication line 32 is also provided, as will beobvious,,and, finally, an electrical' line 33, in which may be unitedconductors for both, the lighting systems and the electrical powerequipment, otherwise said two currents being different and separate. Ajunction box 34 may be provided in the lock chamber, and a plugin.receptacle 35, so that any desiredli'ghting or electrical powerconnections can be made, as will be obvious.

. A higher compressed air pressure power line 36 .is also provided,passing, through the air lock chamber and its bottom 39, and endingin anair manifold 36a, for the, pneumatic power equipment .in the workchamber 29, underneath the lock chamber 28. It will be noted thatv thelock chamber 23 is comparatively narrow, just sufficient for theequipment therein, and for a desired number of workingmen, while theworking chamber 29 may beof any desired width, much wider'than the lockchamber.

The work chamber simply is a downwardly open bell, secured underneaththe lock chamber 28 in a sealing, reliable manner, by any means wellknown. in this art.

Anelectrically driven dredge pump, general- 1y indicated by the numeral31, may also be arranged in the lock chamber 28, projecting through itsbottom into the working chamber 29, and having a suction pipe 38therein, through which the muck, released at the bottom of the workings,may be removed and raised through the muck discharge pipe 39 of the pump31.

I prefer to build a muck storage chamber, generally indicated by thenumeralAlL. over the. lock chamber, being open at the top. The muckdischarge pipe 39 reaches to said open top, and terminates in adischarge head 39a, having openings 4! and 42 at the two sides thereof,through which theraisedinuck' may drop" into the muck storage chamber40. Said chamber may be of such a dimension that the normal amount ofmuck the workingmen can release in one operation maybe stored there,after which the whole device may be raised above ground and the muckremoved.

An outside water pressure gauge 43 is also arranged in the lock chamber28,'and at the side of it, a lock bell air pressure gauge M, and,obviously, all the workingman inthe lock chamber has to do is, to bringthe indication on the lock chamber air pressure equal to theindicationof the outside water pressure, whereby the working chamber maybe cleared of water, 'as will be described more indetail presently.

After the workingmen, with the necessary and other equipment, are in thelock chamber, above ground, and brought to the necessary .air pressure,they will be lowered into the shaft 26.

For this purpose, the lifting hook 45 over the center of the shaft 28,will be relieved of" the pile driver 25, said pile driver beingtransferred to another lifting hook of the three hoist drums, preferablythe innermost one in Fig. 1, asindicated at 46. This transfer of thepile driver may be effected in any manner, well known in this art,whereupon hook 45- may be used 'for the lock chamber 28. In the diagramof Fig. 1,the lock chamber also is shown in. an imaginary manner by dotand dash lines as being attached and resting on the surface of.decompression chamber 26, and the third hook 41' may be used for liftingthe same, and itmay be transferred to the hook 45, over the center lineof theshaft 29.

As has been mentioned, the lock chamber 28,

' with its associate parts, will be lowered into the shaft 20, to theworking place at the bottom thereof, whereupon the workingmen willpermit the compressed airffrom'the chamber 28 to enter into the workingchamber. '29, for which purpose simply a valve controlled "short pipe4'8 (Fig. 3), connected to the low air supply pipe 3 i, ma pass throughthe bo'ttom'lifl of. the lock chamber.

A spring'balanced" trap door 49 is also arranged in said bottom, andafter the air pressure is equalized. inthe'tw'o chambers, the workingmenin the lock chamber may open said door and descend into the workingchamber.

Hooks E'Umay also be. arranged on'the walls of the working, chamber,onwhieh additional equipment, material, and, particularly, my specificmuck buckets,'r'nay be suspended; V

In case the shaft is built of the cylinder'sections 2 I, as shown inFig. 1, the workingm'en may successively clear the's'oil underneath thelower edge of the leading section, and the pile driver 25 may drive allthe sections with a depth of the cleared portion. This obviously willgreatly facilitate the driving. operation.

In Figs; 2a'nd 2a another usual form of sinking a subsoil shaft isshown, wherein ring lining sections 5! are used. In this case, theworkingmen at the bottom will clear a depth of about the height of sucha section 5!, and the shaft will be lined by ring portions adapted to bebolted together to. form afull ring 5 I, as it is well known in thisart. The ring portions, and the adjacent full rings, willbeappropriately sealed against the'seeping of the water into the shaft.

Preferably, I also. emp oy. a; separate auxil ary tools shaftway,generally indicated by the numeral 52. This will be built ofshort'sections 53, successively attached to the lower end of the shaft52, built up in this manner as the digging and excavating at the bottomof the operations proceeds, the workingmen at the bottom clearingsufficient space at the side of the main shaft for the next section 53of the auxiliary shaft 52. Sections 53 may simply be pushed into oneanother, at their marginal portions, in a telescopical manner.

This auxiliary shaft will be used in cases where broken material is tobe lifted from the working place, which material may not be removed bythe dredge pump 31. In such cases, a bucket may be filled with thematerial, then moved sideways at the working place, in line with theauxiliary shaft 52, and raised to the surface therein by the hoist line54. For such removing of excavated material, I prefer to use a novelbucket of my invention, generally indicated by the numeral 55 (Figs. 5,6 and '7).

This bucket is generally cylindrical but barrel shaped, that is, itswall is somewhat bulging out at the center, as indicated at 55a. It willhave a bottom 56, but open at the top, and the excavated material may befilled into it.

The bucket will easily fit into the auxiliary shaftway 52, and itsbarrel-shape and bulging center 55a will prevent its catching thereinwhen moved up or down. Specific hook devices Ff will be secured to itstop, and hook devices 58 will be secured to the underside thereof,whereby a lower next bucket 55b may be suspended on an upper bucket 55.

The workingmen will fill a bucket, and hook it to the hoisting line 54,and give signal to raise the same to the desired extent, whereupon thenext filled bucket will be hung to the bottom of the first bucket, andso on, until a desired number of filled buckets are connected in achain, whereupon they will be raised, emptied, and returned.

The bottom hook 58 of the buckets is made in such a manner that it willprevent an accidental self-escape from it of the top hook of the nextbucket, for which purpose the hooks are formed, as illustrated, and aside wall 58a is provided for the bottom hook 58, so that the top hook57 has to be pushed into engagement with it sideways, as indicated bythe arrow 59. Since the free space in the bottom hook 58 is onlyslightly larger than the corresponding thickness of material in theupper hook 57, the same may be hooked into it by a workingman, but itwill be practically impossible for it to be freed, by itself.

As has been mentioned hereinbefore, a decompression chamber 26 is alsoarranged on the base or supporting platform 66 of my structure, and inFig. 4 I show, in a semi-diagrammatical manner, and on a larger scale,the construction of said decompression chamber, or air lock, indicatingthe Way the lock and working chambers may be attached to it when theyare lifted from the shaft.

After the workingmen finish their shift, they have to be raised to thesurface, they have to leave the work chamber, and they haveto bereplaced by new workingmen, and for this purpose, the laborers of theearlier shift must have facilities to get used to the normal atmosphericpressure, while the incoming new shift must be adjusted to the higherpressure. My decompression chamber 26 is constructed for these twopurposes. It is built of strong steelplates, and has an entrance door6|. The new shift of workingmeri will enter into said chamber, and theair pressure will be gradually raised, as usual, until it will be aboutthe same as that to be met at the working station. A communicating tubeor passage 62 is built on said air lock, communicating therewith througha spring balanced trap door 63 in the top of it, which normally will bekept tightly closed by the air pressure therein.

When the air lock chamber 28 with the working chamber 29 is raised tothe surface, the same will be moved over the air lock 26 and securedthereto in the manner indicated in Fig. 4, trap door 49 of the lockchamber now being in line with the passage 62, and bottom 36 of saidchamber being sealingly secured on the top thereof, like by bolts.

Compressed air will be admitted into the passage 62, until its pressureis about equalized with that in the decompression chamber 26 and lockchamber 28, whereupon the respective trap doors will be opened, and thenew shift may go, through the passage 62, into the lock chamber, and theold shift will go down from the lock chamber into the decompressionchamber. The air now will be drawn out of the passage 62, the trap doorswill close, the lock chamber will be released from the passage 62,raised from it, and then lowered into the shaft with the new workingmen.

The air pressure in the decompression chamber 26 will then be graduallylowered, as usual, until it is safe for the men therein to exit into theatmosphere.

It will be seen that by this means and method, the exchange of the shiftcan be done in a very quick manner, without the usual long delay, andaside from this, both, the incoming and outgoing shifts, may be preparedfor their respective tasks in an easy, comfortable manner.

The air, electricity, and telephone lines will be enclosed in pipes ortubes to a desired distance above the muck chamber 46, as indicated inFig. 2, the upper limit of said protecting tube being indicated at 64 inFig. 1. This is to protect the various connections from injury throughthe muck, or any other material. Above the limit 64, said lines will bemade flexible, like enclosed in rubber hoses, but at a predetermineddistance above the lock chamber, all said tubes will be secured to across beam 65, which may be suspended from a hook and raisedindependently of the air lock and working chamber 21, when the same israised. The purpose of this arrangement is to prevent an entangling orconfusing of the various flexible lines.

As my device 21 is raised, the beam 65 will be raised simultaneously, sothat the portion of the flexible lines between said beam and the device2'! will always remain straight, taut, and stretched. The rest of theflexible conduits, generally indicated by the numeral 66 (Fig. 1) thenwill have a chance to drop on the side of the shaft 26 above the surfaceand coil without being entangled.

In Figs. 4 and 10, I also indicate a novel caster construction for myplatform 60. As will be seen from the diagrams in said figures, thecasters are carried by a member 61, rotatable therein, as at 68, saidmember itself being again rotatable on a shaft 69 in the platformstructure 66. All this is usual well known construction in this art.

' I, however, secure a disk 10, having a plurality ddanted; o; e: passedtlzoughan appropriate raisinatha excavated material. In some cases, it.is necessary to pump the water from the'adjacent:

region. at thebottom of the; shaft, and thereby recu oerthe, hydraulicheador pressure at that place. To use shaft 52 for such a purpose,buckets; 55-,and the lifting line- 54 will be removed fromit,,and,a,pump device, well known in thi art, will beinserted, wherebythe shaft 52 will be formed into. a. uctionline for the pump. Ifsufiicient quantity of water removedfrom the bottom oftheauxiliaryshaft, 52, with sufficient speed, the

hydraulic; pressure at. the working-place will be reduced, and muchlower air pressure will be needed in the. air, lock chamber and in theworking chamber or bell. Through this device, I will, be, enabled togomuch deeper with such working chambers, than has. been. the caseheretofore, since normally there is alirhit of 115 feet depth, and acorresponding hydraulic pressure, which may be counterbalanced .by airpressure sui'ferable by theworkingmen.

With described. method, this headand pressuremaybe. reduced severaltimes, so that, upon applying an. auxiliary shaft 52, and pumping.thewater through the same, Imay send my air lock and working chambermuchdeeper than the former limit of, 115jfeet..

Itiwillibe, obvious that a, second auxiliary shaft 52 may be built,adjacent to the main shaftZll, preferably atian, opposite position tothe first one, and; then one, shaft may be used for raising. thematerial; whilethe. other. may be used for pumping. Obviously, however,two, or more auxiliary of water in, the working chamber will be reduced,

as mentioned, and the men not only will work in lower air pressure morecomfortably, but they may stay for long hours at work, indeed, in somecases, the water headv may be reduced to zero, thus permittingastructure to be built in the open. without any air pressure used.

'InEigs...8 and.9 Iindicate a method and means by which the. working,chamber also. may be formed. into. a. compressed air lock chamber, so.that. the. work may be done entirelyin the dry.' For this. purpose,I'mayemploy plate sections, generally indicated by the numeral: "i5,-which will. besecuredto the lower edge of the working; chamben.pointingoutwardly therefrom, and going, around its: circumference toprovidea transyerse. horizontal wall, projectingfrom the bottom edge ofthe working chamber allaround thereof. These platesections-may besecured; in the: em.- bod-iment shown in- Figs. 8. and 9, by bolts- Hi,placed into channelsl'l, secured to the wall ofthe working chamber.

Adjacent and along the outer ends of the plates 15 are placed rubberhose sections 18, securedon the plates, and if the shaft, cylinder, or.caisson20, is built oflining. rings 5 I, after. placing-the. platesection 15 around the bottom of the work chamber 29, said work chamberwill be raised to the. desired degree, whereby the rubber tube sections18 will be: squeezed between the said plate sections, and the flangesBio. of the lining, and this way a. substantially air and water tightseal will be. providedbetween the bottoms. of the.

shaft. 2!] and the work chamber. 29. In-this manner, a sealed compressedair chamber will be formed at the bottom, to permit adding of extra airpressure to dry up the ground under-- neath the working chamber,whenever it is. desired. In this work chamber, under the extra airpressure, the excavation can be deepened,

dug flaring outwardly to make widerfoundations; the sides of theexcavation will be. stable, and any desired structures can be builttherein.

In case of a caisson or cylinder beingsunkby weight or hammering, asimilar air seal may be used at the bottom. between it and the workingchamber, the rubber sealin means to--be compressed being, right: underthe edge of the. cylinder or casing. Obviously, other sealingmeans maybe employed than the one described, as, for

instance, a-cornparatively large. rubber'tube may be placed in the spacebetween the lower. edges of. the working chamber and the structure inwhich it is arranged, and'said rubber tubeexpandedby air pressure untilit adheres, tightly sealing, to both, the working chamber and the bottommar.- gin of the structure.

In Figs. 11 to 13 I show'a method by which my air lock and work chambermay be adapted. for" an improved, novel centering of a sub-surface: or

a. sub-aqueous structure.

This method. generally consists in the follow ing steps: First myworking chamber and; air

lock will be withdrawn fromthe cylinder or other upwardly openstructure, which is being built,

and, a weightwillbes lowered at theexact cen-' ter thereof, said. centerbeing established on the surface by means well known to those versed inthis art. The plumbing weight willhave'anapem ture therein, and. when itisv carefully permitted to rest at the bottomofi the excavation, theclowering line for said plumbing weight will be with-- drawn, leaving theweight to restwith its aperture atthe. exact. center of the: cylinder orthe likebeing sunk:

It is.to be understood that first the.-bOtt'0m Wi11- be; levelled,through the use of my compressed air, lock. and. working chamber, andafter said weight is placed on. the levelled bottom, my device islowered again; and'ithe. workingmen..wil-l. drive astake. through theaperture in .thezweighi;v

this center point, and; thereby. insurethat. the

structure,- as it is-:being-sunk,.will be; exact yer;-

tical direction, as". against the usual. deviations now met insinkingsuch structures,.a-nd= the well. known. serious drawbacks. accompanying.the

same

In Fig, 11% the; numeral ,80findicatesthaplumbing weight, in general,the same, in this embodiment, being formed of a bottom plate 8|, havinga central aperture 82. An integral tube 83 rises over the aperture 82,having an identical inner passage 82a. Four wings 84 may also beprovided for better centering the weight, when it is being lowered. Apivoted bail 85 is secured at the top of the tube, and a looped doublelowering line 85 engages the ball 85. When the weight is set in theexact center line of the structure on the bottom 81, double line 86 willbe withdrawn, as will be understood, leaving the weight at the bottom.The working chamber with the air lock is now lowered over said weight,the workingman will enter the same, and will drive a stake or rod 58through the central passages 82 and 82a into the ground to a safe depth,whereupon the plumbing weight 80 will be withdrawn by pulling the sameupwardly on the stake 88. In this manner, the stake 88 will mark theexact center of the structure, and may be used as a startin point forany desired measuring done at the bottom of the underwater excavation;

In this manner, accurate plumbing of the structure may be resorted to atdesired intervals, to insure against any error.

Heretofore, caissons, round or square, and steel pipes and cylindershave been sunk by weight, by jacks, or by blows from a power hammer. Ithas been found that these structures go out of line by meetingobstructions at the cutting edges, so that it is rare to find a caissonwhich is sunk plumb. A vertical slope of 1 or 3 inches off center at thetop, is considered good work. The departure from the vertical makes thecaisson eccentric with respect to the load, and where heavy loads aresupported, this eccentricity is a serious detriment.

My described method to insure a plumb construction of any type of waterfoundations is a great improvement which is highly desirable to meet therequirements of correct design.

Another novel and highly practical feature of my invention is that myair lock and working chamber with the workingmen therein may even beleft in a cylinder, caisson, or other structure, while the same is beingsunk, either by weight, or by hammering througha pile driver arrangedover the top of the structure in an appropriate manner, as indicated inFig. l.

I believe this employment of my invention not only is novel, but theonly one proposed in this art where work may be done at the bottom of astructure under compressed air and still a hammer may be employed at thetop to drive the structure downwardly, and the reason for it is that mymethod and means are the only one in which an air lock and workingchamber may be employed independently of the cylinder, caisson or otherstructure.

This independent feature also enables me to admit compressed air intothe working chamber during the descent of my device, so that the samewill arrive to the bottom practically dry, water having been driven outof the same, thereby greatly expediting the operations and adding to thecomfort of the workingmen.

As has been mentioned, through my method and means, I am enabled to digunderneath the cutting edge of the cylinder, caisson, or the like, andthereby'greatly facilitate its sinking, which normally requires a greatforce or weight. With my invention, it may be driven into a free spaceinstead of against resistance at the bottom.

In a similar manner, ledge rock may b removed from the bottom underneatha cylinder or other shaped caisson, and boulders may be removed, thuspermitting the lowering of the structure to its final foundation.

Excavation at the bottom of the operations may be done by loosening upthe hard ground with the aid of compressed air drills and tools.Boulders may even be blasted. The loosened material and small size rockwill be loaded in the buckets described hereinbefore and raised throughthe auxiliary shaft.

A large boulder may even be moved into the working chamber, a chainpassed therearound, and hung on hooks in my device, after which the samemay be brought to the surface with the boulder suspended on it.

Earth may be dredged and pumped to the said storage chamber on the topof the air lock and may be removed when the same is brought to thesurface. It is obvious, the dredge pump power may be electric, air, orany other power,

In a word,- the operations may be done at the bottom and under waterexactly the same way and with similar tools as used for surface work,which again is a great advantage in using my invention. l

Instead of discharging into a muck chamber, a dredge pump or an air liftor a hydraulic lift may discharge directly to the surface. Indeed; oftenthis can be done without any men being present in my air lock, orworking chamber, as the operation of such lifts may be controlled fromthe surface.

A removal of the muck from the working chamber will keep the same clear,whereby the workingmen may move with more freedom and work with moreefficiency. It is also to be noted that my air lock and working chamberwill replace the water and will not disturb the ground, which is keptsafe and stable by the water pressure.

In normal compressed air operations in caise sons or the like, greatweights must be used to overcome the upward thrust of the compressedair, which also is eliminated through the use of my device as it willwork under water pressure, which counterbalances the upward force of theair therein.

At present very often it happens that a cylinder, caisson, or the like,being sunk, may come to rest on rock with a slope, and thereby will beunsafely supported and also inclined from the vertical, with thementioned serious drawbacks. With my device, in such a case, the rockmay be made level to provide a substantially even, uni.- form supportall around the lower edge of the structure, as indicated in the lowerpart of Fig. 2a.

If further excavations are necessary in the rock, it may be doneunderwater through the use of my working chamber, as indicated, ingeneral, at 9|] in Fig. 2a. The excavation in rock usually is of smallerarea than the sheeted'area through the earth, generally indicated by 28.The rock will be drilled and blasted by men working in the work chamber,and removed to make a level bottom. Liner plates are then placed down tothe level bottom, or, if it is a steel cylinder or shell, it can bedriven down by hammer to reach the same. It is not practical to drivesteel casings in the rock, and it cannot be done with hard rock. Theclear line of the shaft to be cut into the rock is indicated in animaginary manner by dot and dash lines in Fig. 211 at a.

11 I may also mention-that my working chamber maybe madeinseveral-sect-ions, having doors between the sections, and platforms,to support men or weights, can be built where needed in the workingchamber. When the working chamber travels through water, its entrappedair may be removed, if desired, to discharge outside the look as througha valve operated in the lock, thus permitting the work chamber to fillwith water. This reduces the amount of displaced Water, makes the excessweight of the steel structure greater, to make it more stable for travelthrough water, like in streams where the tide may be considerable.

On the other hand, through a pipe line leading from the lock to theWorking chamber, a valve may be operated to flow compressed air into thework chamber to force out its contained water.

My portable work chamber does not disturb conditions and is suitable for'use-in sinking-foundations alongside of buildings which require aminimum of disturbance;

Italsols usable in all waters, whether ocean,

river or lake, for excavating the bottom in-earth or rock material toform trenches or excavated areas as desired.

A very important, novel use of my device also may consist inthefollowing: My lock cham-ber maybe entirely sealed under atmosphericpressure with the workingmen therein, and then lowered to the locationof the operation under water, the working chamber having-been put, undercompressed air pressure of the required chamber maybe lowered topractically any depth,

to which it was never before possible to sink working machinery, and theworkingmen all the time will be under normal atmospheric pressureand'may. enter the device, or leave it, without any waitingand'adjusting period.

- and, as has been mentioned and indicated in the drawings, that theymay be in the form of bolts between the top of the working chamber andthe bottom of theair lock chamber.

What I claim as new, and want to protect by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is:

1. In sinking a substantially watertight structu-re'like a cylinder or acaisson-open at both ends Of course, the sealed lock chamber will beprovided with fresh air from, and with means to. remove the. exhaustedair to, the surface.

Indeed, the working chamber in this case may be made globe-shaped toresist a very high pressure when lowered to a great depth.

. As has beenmentioned before, one important feature of my invention isthe provision of compressed air locks and working chambers, which areentirely independent of the structure to bebuilt, so that in case of acaisson" or cylinder,

the same may be moved, like by a hammer or weights, on the top, whileexcavating operations maybe effected at thebottom.

It also sometimes may happen that the work means maybe employed betweenthe two, such means being obvious and well known in this art,

@surface, for which purpose releasable securing movable operatingchamber adapted to receiveworkingmen and predetermined instruments,tools and machinery, a downwardly open Working chamber secured to itsbottom, air communicating means between the two, a door between the two,means to lower or to raise said two chambers, a flexible and extendiblecompressed air conduit from the surface into said lock cham ber, a muckchamber at the top of said operat-' ing chamber, and means in saidoperating chamher and working chamber adapted to raise material fromsaid working chamber and deposit it in the muck chamber whereby uponraising said operating chamber to the surface, said deposited materialwill be raised with it.

3. Ina device for underwater excavations, the combination of an upwardlyand downwardly movable operating chamber adapted to receive workingmenand predetermined instruments, tools and machinery a downwardly openworking chamber secured to its bottom, air communicating means betweenthe two, a door'between the two, means to lower or to raise saidchambers, a

flexible and extendible compressed air conduit from the surface intosaid operating chamber, a muck chamber at the top of said operatingchamber, and a pump in said operating chamber adapted to raise materialfrom said work chamber andtodeposit it in the muck chamber whereby uponraising said operating chamber to the surface, said deposited materialwill be raised with it. r 1

' CHARLES GOODMAN.

REFERENCES CI'TED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED" STATES PATENTS

